


Tick Tock Make Time Stop

by Loye



Category: Time - Fandom
Genre: Curses, Death, Gen, Insanity, Time Loop, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 09:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 15,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11228049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loye/pseuds/Loye
Summary: The story of the unfortunately timeless twins, Emmaline and Feris. They have been cursed with insanity from an unknown foe. Due to this curse, they hear a constant ticking within their heads. Emmaline and Feris each count their own respective measurement of time, Emmaline counts the minutes to each hour and Feris counts the hours to each dayYet there is still many unknowns about the mysterious twins as there is always more to them than meets the eye.





	1. 1

> Oct. 7 1824  
> Georgian era  
> England  
> Age: 7
> 
> Emmaline sat alone in her room. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried out in desperation.
> 
> At this point the ticking had invaded every one of her thoughts once again. She covered her ears in an attempt to block out the incessant ticking, though she knew it was no use.
> 
> After another minute or two of panic and anger, she started screaming. She started throwing things around, then ran to her bed and started ripping apart it's blue canopy, which was already torn and ruined from previous breakdowns. She grabbed the fabric of her dress and began yanking and tearing at its beautiful skirt.
> 
> It was getting worse, and she was all alone except for the ticking. She finally stopped her violence and continued to cry, alone and afraid.
> 
> She wanted her brother to come home. She rarely got to see Feris at that age. Her family was wealthy and she had many treasures and possessions, but she knew that her brother was all she really had. "I miss you," she whispered. It had been almost a year since she saw him.
> 
> Emmaline was born with some sort of mental illness. After a few years, it started to develop in her twin brother as well, due to the mental link they had with one another. In an effort to keep it from worsening in him, her parents decided to send him elsewhere to live with other relatives.
> 
> Over the past year, her breakdowns had gotten much worse and they had grown increasingly violent. She would be physically aggressive toward any who approached her during one, and often would destroy entire rooms. Over time these mental breakdowns became unpredictable, coming and going randomly. So she was locked in her room most of the time, never allowed to come out unless it was a special occasion.
> 
> She stood and looked down at her dress, which was now ripped and tattered, before going over to her bell pull to call their servant.
> 
> Within a few moments, there was a 'click' of the door being unlocked. Fran, the servant, stepped in making sure to close the door behind her.
> 
> Emmaline sat at her bedside. "I ripped my dress," she said. "I need a new one before my brother gets here."
> 
> "Yes, madam," Fran replied. She went to the wardrobe and selected another dress. "Are you excited to see him?" She asked.
> 
> "Yes, I'm excited," Emmaline said.
> 
> "It is your eighth birthday today," Fran commented. "Three years since he was sent away. It's a shame he had to go. I remember how you two used to have so much fun playing together."
> 
> "Why did they have to take him away?" Emmaline asked. "What is the worst that could happen?"
> 
> "Your parents have their reasons," Fran assured helping her get changed. "It's hard to see you the way you are. You will never get to have a normal childhood. They didn't want him to have to be the same. They wanted at least one of their children to be a normal child."
> 
> After getting a new dress on, Emmaline asked, "What do 'normal' children do?"
> 
> Before Fran could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Emmaline? Are you stable?"
> 
> "Yes, I'm okay, now," Emmaline replied.
> 
> Her mother came in. She sighed. "Look what you've done to your hair."
> 
> Her mother came to her and began to tie back her her raven hair. "When does he have leave tomorrow?"
> 
> Her mother was silent a moment. "Well, darling, I don't know. I'm not even sure if he will even stay the night."
> 
> "What?" Emmaline exclaimed. Her mother stepped back.
> 
> "Do not shout. It's impolite and unladylike. I don't know for sure yet whether or not he'll stay, but there is no need to worry yet." Her mother finished tying up the young girl's hair. "Let me see."
> 
> Emmaline turned around. Mother smiled, "Beautiful." She declared, pleased with her work. "Absolutely beautiful." She stroked Emmaline's cheek and sighed.
> 
> "Mother?" Emmaline asked. "What do normal children do?"
> 
> "They call their mothers mommy, for one. Mother is a formal term."
> 
> "I like mother better," Emmaline said. She looked up at her mother. "Do you love me?"
> 
> "Of course. I love you very much."
> 
> "Emmaline!" Her father called from below. "Feris has arrived!"
> 
> ***********************Feris*********************
> 
> Feris stood by the front door, quietly waiting for his sister. When she finally came down, they embraced one another. It was sad seeing her. He could tell her skin hadn't seen sunlight since he went to live with his aunt. She was pale to the point where she looked gravely ill.
> 
> "I'm happy to see you!" Emmaline beamed.
> 
> When she released him, he noticed a rhythm in her movement. However, hers were more subtle.
> 
> "Let's go play!" She said grabbing his hand.
> 
> "Okay," Feris said nonchalantly.
> 
> She looked up to father. "Where can we play?"
> 
> "I don't want anything getting damaged. Play in your bedroom," father replied.
> 
> As Emmaline began pulling him up the stairs, he heard father muttering something to his aunt. "Something seems a bit off about the boy...."
> 
> Feris glanced back coldly meeting his Father's gaze. 'Because something is off you bloody demon,' he thought. He was very wroth with his parents for sending him away, however, he still loved them.
> 
> He could almost hear his aunt telling father that he was a troubled child. Having dreams about a cult coming and killing everyone, then stealing he and his sister and turning them into monsters. But Feris knew they couldn't have been dreams. They were visions, but no one believed him.
> 
> Once they reached the top of the stairs, he pulled his sister into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him.
> 
> "Feris?" Emmaline asked. "What are you doing?"
> 
> Feris grabbed his sister by the arm. He whispered into her ear. "Let's run away," he said.
> 
> "What? Now?"
> 
> Feris shushed her. "We need to leave today. Or the ones in white will come and turn us into monsters."
> 
> "Why do they have to come for us?"
> 
> "Because we're special. We know time, we hear the constant tick tock of it. We need to run away before they come."
> 
> "Maybe if we tell them, they'll agree to take us away before then."
> 
> "No we can't tell them. They'll stop us."
> 
> The lock clicked as someone unlocked it with a key. Father threw the door open. He grabbed them both by the arms and dragged them into Emmaline's room. "No one is going anywhere," father said firmly.
> 
> *********************Emmaline*************
> 
> Later, that night, "they" came. They set the house ablaze and time seemed to slow. Her mother burst into the bedroom, injured, burnt and bleeding heavily from many open wounds. She grabbed them both by the hand and weakly pulled them along. Halfway down the stairs, she collapsed and ended up toppling down the rest of the way and landing at the bottom with a sickening 'crack'. The two twins ran to the bottom to see if their mother would be okay.
> 
> Mother didn't even try to get up. Instead, she reached up with a shaky hand and touched Emmaline's cheek. "I love you both," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek. "Go, get out of the house and run as far as you can."
> 
> Emmaline started to panic. "No, you can't die again!"
> 
> Her mother ignored her statement and smiled at them sadly. "Be strong. Please, go." With that, she drew one last shaky breath, and released it.
> 
> Emmaline broke into tears, as did her brother. Strong arms wrapped around her and began tearing her away from her mother. "NO!!!" She screamed. "MOMMY! DADDY! HELP!"
> 
> They dragged her and her brother off, passing by the corpses of Fran, their aunt and their Father. "NOOOO!!!!!!" She desperately cried. As she pulled and tried to get free but didn't have the strength to. She briefly broke down in the person's arms. Once outside she saw the house burning down. They had fail again.
> 
> Her captor held her in an embrace. "Don't fear, young one. We will make you strong."
> 
> Lost in grief she gave up, returning the embrace, knowing that she would not be hurt yet, and desperate for comfort. "Why?" She sobbed. "It's not fair. I don't want this."
> 
> "Perhaps, but it is necessary. It gives you reason to want to return to this time. Tonight we will experiment on you to see if we will ever be capable of this. There are many risks, but it will be worth it. You will be our test subjects."


	2. 2

The two were blindfolded and taken into a building very far from their burning home. They were locked into a room together with their hands bound behind their backs.

Feris sat quietly waiting for something to happen next, like the sound of the door opening again. He waited several minutes before he couldn't take it anymore, the constant tick tock filled his thoughts. It was all he could think about in the silence, just tick tock tick tock tick tock it never ended.

He was about to start screaming when Emmaline said, "Tick." He paused, remembering that she could hear it, too. "Tick," she repeated. "Tick."

"Tock," Feris joined in.

"Tick."

"Tock."

"You hear it." Her words were still on time with the ticking.

"Yes. It never goes away."

"It never goes away for me, too," Emmaline chimed.

"Why are you always so happy?" Feris asked with slight irritation. "Have you forgotten what happened?"

"No, I'm just having another breakdown, don't worry about it." She said still on time. "These ones are nice. Other breakdowns make me sad and angry. These ones make me happy and giggly. But they don't happen very much and never last very long before I get sad and angry." She continued to laugh and say tick over and over.

"When will it end?" Feris asked.

She giggled. "Never. It will never end. Tick. Tick. Tick..." As she repeated the word her cheery voice began to falter. She was starting to cry.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I want to go home," She sobbed. "I miss mother and father." He heard her stand and begin pacing back and forth angrily. "TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK." She slammed herself against the wall. "Get out of my head!" She screamed. "Go away!"

Feris listened to her screams. Secretly hoping they would never stop. The longer she screamed, the longer he didn't have to hear the ticking. 'Don't stop,' he thought. 'Please don't ever stop.'

The door opened and he heard footsteps. His sister screamed, "Let me go! You bloody murderer, let me go!"

The door closed, and all was quiet. "Emmaline?" He called. There was no answer. He sat alone in silence. He didn't want to panic.

Feris thought about how his sister seemed to embrace the sound for a moment before she started to cry over their parents. 'Maybe,' he thought to himself.

He stopped ignoring the ticking, and embraced it. He realized how he favored the sound following Tick, Tock. Soon he found himself saying, "TOCK. TOCK. TOCK."

He got a small pain in his arms as he heard his sister scream, interrupting his thoughts. He listened, and the more he listened, the more he could hear a song in the screams. Sound was always his ally. So why was the ticking different than any other sound? The ticking was always with him, his most loyal ally, his best friend.

The door was thrown open and footsteps came to him, and he found himself being yanked to his feet by the collar of his shirt. A rough hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. Feris didn't bother resisting.

They walked past the crying voice if his sister. "Emmali-"

"Quiet!" The man said smacking him in the back of the head.

Feris obeyed, angrily. He already held hate for this man, now he loathed being in his presence.

They continued to walk on until they entered another room where he could sense the presence of multiple people. Two grabbed his arms, as a third unbound his hands. He was then forced into a chair, where he had his wrists bound to its arms, and his ankles bound to its legs. One of the straps went around his neck limiting head movement. They put a gag on him as well.

After a few moments, there was chanting with many words he didn't understand. A cold sensation spread throughout him. Then was replaced by a strong, icy, pain as if he had been burning in ice. It soon worsened to a point so terrible he found himself being unable hold back his screams.

Then something in his mind changed he realized that the pain was distracting him from the ticking, which made him enjoy the pain. He started to laugh. His eyes felt odd, and couldn't stop moving his hands. The pain felt good.

When the chanting stopped, the pain and smile vanished, but the odd sensation in his eyes and hands remained. He found that he felt no emotion, which was strange. Someone approached him, and began running their hands along his arms and legs.

"Second subject appears to have no side effects," he said to the others in the room. "No mutations..." He removed the gag. "How do you feel?"

Feris, now void of emotion, responded, "my hands and eyes feel unusual. Why?" He demanded to know.

The man started inspecting Feris's hands, but stopped immediately. "Interesting," the man mused. He put gloves over Feris's hands. "We conduct more experiments tomorrow." He removed Feris's blindfold. Feris looked up at the man, meeting his eyes. The man seemed stunned, then he stepped back, shaking. He looked at Feris and screamed. He began rambling on about how he looked into the eyes of pure evil. He was speaking like a madman, yelling at everyone to look away from the boy, that his eyes were evil.

He was dragged out by two men and someone put a blindfold back on him. They released him from the chair, once again binding his hands behind his back.

********************Feris*******************  
Five years later  
Age: 12

Another man in white threw Feris back into the previous room where he could hear his sister giggling. He could also hear something scraping the walls and dragging across the floor. He moved his head against his shoulder to move the blindfold. Once he was able to see, he was shocked by what he found. This time the experiments mutated his sister mire severely. She now had long tentacle-like arms with no hands that dragged behind her as she walked. She wore a blank smile, and stared off into space.

She was now not only pale, but void of all color. Her skin like paper, her hair like ink. He sat against the wall listening and watching, but rarely speaking. While Emmaline was constantly laughing at everything, repeating the word TICK. Occasionally, Feris would reply with TOCK, but only when he felt he was getting tired of the same sounds.

His sister, seeming to get bored, came and sat beside him. Feris tried not to make eye contact with her. From the men's experiments they determined that his eyes could cause any who he made direct eye contact with to fall into madness.

Emmaline laughed. "You're pain was funny," stared ahead dreamily. "Such painful injections," She snickered.

Feris recalled the excruciating pain he was put through in the experiments. He could almoste feel the pain in his eyes again. He stifled a laugh. "We're both going mad," he whispered to his sister who howled in laughter. He simply couldn't help but laugh a bit himself.

"Do you know what i call this room?" Emmaline asked.

"What do you call it?"

"I call it my looney bin. Because all that's inside are a couple of looney children."

Feris cackled. "Where they only feed us meds and drugs."

"Perhaps that's all we'll get for christmas in two weeks."

"But who cares?" Feris spat through his wild laughter. "I always end up destroying all my gifts, anyway!"

"I do, too!" Emmaline guffawed.

They sat there the rest of the day. Taking turns making the other laugh. It was the most fun he had in a very long time. They made up a game where they would take turns saying words to make a sentence on beat with the ticking. And when they didn't have any ideas, they would go back and forth. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK. They spent seven more years like this. Until the day the were freed. The day they were unleashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup.... still on quotev if you want to see illustrations.... (wait is there a way to put those on here?.....idk)


	3. 3

June 10, 1833  
England  
Age: 19

Emmaline and Feris had started to name each other by their sound. Emmaline was now addressed by her brother as Tick, Feris addressed by his sister as Tock.

The men in white had started calling them the clock twins after they learned how to use the ticking in their heads to determine the time. They unconsciously counted every tick. Tick would count the seconds for each minute, Tock would count the minutes for each hour. Together, they were a living clock.

They never tried to escape. Where were they supposed to go? They'd forgotten their grief and family, no longer even aware they ever had any. Tock enjoyed irritating the men in white. They would would ask him questions, but he would never respond. He only talked to Tick, and no one else. He refused to answer their questions, or speak to them in general.

Tock was now able to climb the bare walls of their room. And he was no longer required to have his hands bound, but was required to where gloves and a blindfold at all times. His hands could drain their victims lifespan until reduced to nothing. His eyes became more powerful with age, and now caused complete and utter insanity. He was able to see through the blindfold, but it hid his eyes from the world.

They injected his fingers with a strong toxic, magnetic fluid to test his endurance against lethal poisons after he was once overdosed with a lethal amount of drugs, due one of the doctors mixing up the time. The lethal overdose had no effect on his physical health. Which is why they started testing the limit.

Instead of the poison killing him, it became a part of him. The chemicals changed in his bloodstream. Making it attract to non-metal materials as well as metal materials.

Tick had managed to go about without much change. Her brother protected her from further mutations. However she had grown more violent all in her own. She killed one of the doctors by wrapping her strange arms around him, and squeezing the life out of him like a boa constrictor. Her movement had become heavily influenced by the ticking. She walked with dancing grace and subtle clockwork timing. Tock moved the same, but with subtle grace, and obvious timing.

Tock dangled from the ceiling by his fingertips as Tick danced below. "tick," she sang.

"tock," Tock joined. "Time to play."

"Little clockwork dolls-"

"We are waiting." Tock swung his feet up to the ceiling and let go with his fingertips so he now stood upside down.

"Here we'll stay," Tick sang looking up at her brother.

"'Till we're wound."

"Please don't run away," they said in unison.

The door unlocked and opened. One of the guards stood there. He motioned for them both to come.

Tock bent over, and held on with his fingertips letting his feet dangle. He dropped down to the floor and joined the guard in silence as Tick followed suit.

They walked side by side in unison behind the guard. Once they reached a door, Tock held out his hands waiting for them to be bound. As it was procedure before beginning experimentation.

Tick then waited for her straitjacket. It was the first experiment of the day, which often involved painful injections. They had to be bound to prevent them from causing casualties in their struggle to get away.

The guard took a straight jacket from a hook on the wall next to the door and dropped it into Tock's hands. Tock looked at it, then at the guard.

"Problem?" The guard asked.

Tock stared at him with burning hatred as he put it on over his head.

The guard then gave Tick hers. He didn't understand what was happening. The sudden change felt like a threat. The guard grabbed the long sleeves and made Tock's arms wrap around himself, then buckled the straps into place. He did the same to Tick.

They were lead into an unfamiliar room with two chains tethered to the wall. Two chairs nailed to the floor sat in front of a table. On the other side of the table was a normal chair.

They were sat down in the two that were nailed to the floor. The guard put a collar on each of them, and grabbed the ends of the two chains. He secured them to the collars like leashes. They were too short to allow them to stand, or move their heads forward.

"Behave," the guard ordered as he left.

********************Tick********************

Tick watched as the door closed. She could hear her brother muttering under his breath. Tick entertained the thought of killing that guard, resulting in a light chuckle. "Imagine his screams."

Tock giggled in response.

"Imagine putting and end to his time," Tick laughed, and Tock did likewise until the door opened. Then he immediately closed his mouth. A man walked in, but not one he'd seen before. He wasn't even in white.

"This is Mr. Damen," the guard said. "Behave for him."

Tick watched trying not to laugh as he sat down. He looked at her a bit surprised. "You've become dreadfully deformed. And you seem awfully happy considering where you are."

She cackled. "I've just lost my mind and become victim to experimentation, what's your excuse?"

The man raised an eyebrow, and waved her comment aside. He shifted his gaze to her gaze brother, who refused to look at him. "You seem angry at me."

"He won't speak to you," Tick stated. "He only speaks to me. He despises everyone else here." She looked at him.

*I hate this situation with every fiber of my being. I feel unsafe, everything is changing,* He thought to her.

She howled hysterically. This seemed to surprise Mr. Damen. "Is something funny?"

"He is uncomfortable," Tick responded still laughing. "He loathes you for changing everything."

"I see." Damen folded his hands on the table. "Well I am actually here on business. Circle Blanc is low on funds and they are asking me to help fund their experiments. You are the last part of my tour. They tell me you two are one of a kind."

Tick struggled to understand what he was talking about. She was confused by his words.

Damen seemed to read her mind, "and you don't understand a word I'm saying do you?"

"No, in fact you sound like you've gone mad," she laughed at her own joke finding it hilarious.

"Right." Damen pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I am."

"You seem tired," Tick commented.

"I've been here since three o'clock this morning." He took out a pocket watch. The ticking was off. Tock looked up so suddenly it made Mr. Damen fall back in his chair. His expensive pocket watch broke as it hit the floor.

"Your watch is off," Tick said. "It's time you got a new one."

"It was a fine watch," Damen said angrily picking it up.

"It was a liar," Tick said.

"Wonderful," Damen said sitting again with a look of annoyance. "How will I know what time it is?"

Tick looked to her brother, who furrowed his brow. "Mm. Six." He mumbled.

"Twenty two," Tick said after.

"You're seconds were off," Tock's voice was barely audible.

"Twenty three, now," Tick said. "And fifty three seconds till twenty four."

Damen stared at them, with new curiosity and wonder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotev... hand drawn illustrations.... do people even read the notes?


	4. 4

Damen, now ready to ask questions, got comfortable in his seat. He looked back and forth between the two twins. At first, he only wanted to see with them for business purposes. To see if this was a project worth funding. Now, he wanted to know more about them than the actual project.

"So," he started. "Why the blindfold?"

"His eyes cause those who look into them to slip into madness."

They were definitely mad, but seemed safe. Just delusional. He looked at their straight jackets. "For a mad couple, you seem quite tame. So why all the extra security measures?"

The two twins looked at each other. They both burst into howling laughter. "We kill people," Tick spat through her laughter.

"But why not just strap you to the chairs?" Damen asked pointing to the arms of the chairs.

Tick giggled. "Because i would escape."

"How? Anyone's hands would be too big to slip out if you have them strapped tight enough."

"Not mine," she laughed. "I haven't got them anymore."

"How did you lose them?"

"The men in white did something to me but they messed it up, and my arms changed. I killed one of the doctors here by squeezing the breath out of him." Her giggling echoed throughout the room. "His strangled screams were like music."

Damen knew that this young woman had a joyful, happy madness, and yet something in her aura told him of a hidden pain and sadness. The young man seemed tortured. The air around the two carried an innocent sadness that filled him with dread.

"How old were you when you came here?"

"We were small children. Not even ten."

He looked at them further. "And what of your families? Did they just give you away and go about life happily?"

The boy stiffened and the girl's laughter grew. Tock started breathing faster and more heavily, as if he were about to hyperventilate right there. He started trembling and struggling in his jacket. The blindfold became wet as tears began to emerge. Tick's laughter grew, however she was crying as well. She kept on the same blank smile, and was still laughing, but her eyes were sad and pained.

"Bloody murder!" The boy screamed suddenly, making Damen jump. "Wretched thieves! Burn! BURN and pay for what you did! You will pay for what you took! You will pay for your stolen souls!"

"Come back," Tick spoke through her laughter and crying. "Have I done you wrong? Why must I be abandoned? Why must I be robbed of all I have?"   
She seemed weak and broken. "Why have you taken my only home? Why must i be punnished," she wailed.

"Your white coats will forever be stained! Soiled by the innocent blood you so wrongfully spilt! May you fall into oblivion!"

"I've made my decision," Damen said as the guard rushed in. "I will not be funding your project, and I would like to speak with the head of your organization, Dr. Layland."

*******************Damen******************

"If you do not fund us, we will have to eliminate them," Dr. Layland said. "We cannot unleash them on the world, they are too dangerous for that."

"And this place is too dangerous for them," Damen shouted. "You think I can't put their words together? You robbed two children of their families! And now they're utterly insane! Do you not see what you've done?"

"So we kill them both? Let all the research go to waste?"

"I will take them. You do not lay a finger on them."

"Sorry, Dr. Damen, but there is simply too much risk in that. We have no option but to eliminate the project entirely. Meaning we must eliminate the twins."

"I won't let you! They deserve a chance to get away from the misery YOU caused them!"

Dr.Layland looked to the guard standing in the corner. "Go take the clock twins to be executed as soon as possible. We are ending this project."

"Yes sir," the guard said happily as he headed out the door.

********************Tick********************

Tick flashed back to the memory of her home burning to the ground. Seeing her own mother die right before her. She recalled seeing the corpses of everyone she'd ever loved. All except her brother. She kept laughing away her pain. Her brother sat on the ceiling above her, deep in thought.

When he finally came down, he continued to pace back and forth. "Something is about to happen," Tock told her. "I can sense it. Feel it deep inside?"

Tick closed her eyes. She could sense extreme emotions of both worry, dread, and angry satisfaction. "Strong emotions," she sensed them growing with time. She laughed. "Such a troubling mixture could only mean risk and change."

"Perhaps," Tock uttered slowly. "They will finally exterminate us. Perhaps after all these years, they've finished their work. And will finally stop our suffering."

"Perhaps."

"However, they still have not paid for what they took," Tock said with a smile. "If they are looking to eliminate the project, they must eliminate the entire project." He dropped from the ceiling. "And it would be terrible for us to take all the credit. We are all the project. All of us who participated in it. If they wish to eliminate it, well, after all the hospitality they have provided, it would only be polite to help them do so."

Tock's grin widened. He extended his hand to his sister. "Shall we?" Tock asked.

Tick accepted the hand. "If I said 'no' what kind of lady would I be?"

They linked arms and stood before their door. "So the guard approaches," Tick said. "The door will soon open."

They laughed. "Tock," he started.

"Tick."

"Tock."

"Tick."

The door unlocked, and Tock silently ran up the wall with his sister in his arms, he sat on the ceiling directly above the door.

The door opened, and the guard stepped inside. He looked around in confusion, he came within reach of Tick's arms.

She wrapped them around the guard's neck and let them get progressively tighter. The guard struggled and tried to step away, but tock lifted her higher with the guard so he could no longer touch the ground. "It has been a pleasure working with you, sir," she whispered.

She felt the life leave the guard's body as he slowly stopped struggling. Once it was over they dropped to the floor. They left the room, and progressed down the hallway. Stopping at each room to take care of any who may be inside.

They enjoyed every moment of their screams. Tock had finally gotten to take off his gloves and blindfold. Tick could tell he was enjoying the feeling of draining their lives away.

They progressed further and further through the panic. Soon, they were surrounded by victims. They reached a staircase and ascended it, finding a single door at the top. Behind it two men could be heard yelling at each other.

They opened the door, and there stood Damen with the main man in white. Tick recognized the man as the one who promised to make her strong all those years ago.

"How did you get out?" The man shrieked.

"You owe us," Tick responded in laughter. "You took something without paying. You must pay for what you took." She crept forward. "It seems you forgot to."

"What are you doing?" The man demanded.

"Ending the project," Tick explained. "It'd be rude for us to take all the credit. Everyone is a part of it. So we are destroying your project for you."

Tock walked over, holding some rope he took from off the wall. Tick wrapped her arms around the man, and tock bound him to the room's window, which he had locked. They both then went to the fireplace and took some of it's burning wood and tossed it about the room setting fire to the furniture and carpet. Tick remembered Damen.

She stared at him. "He is not in white," Tick pointed out. "He does not work here."

Tock stood next to her. "What should we do?"

"He should leave this moment," Tick responded. "The fire is growing and soon he will be burning as well.." Fire surrounded them, and smoke was everywhere.

"Come with me," Damen asked, extending his hand. "I can return to you what they took away. I will give you both the care you need. I can give you your family back."

The man was screaming, now. And the fire was growing more and more uncontrollable. After a couple minutes, Tock whispered in Tick's ear. "Make him leave."

"Go, now or burn," she giggled.

"No," Damen refused. He started coughing and was weak. "Not as long as you can be saved." His words were followed by another fit of coughing until he topples over.

Tick looked at her brother who nodded. They had no choice.


	5. 5

Damen awoke in darkness. He quickly took note of the scene around him. His surroundings were black and ruined. The sky was grey, and filled with a dark presence. The room he was in appeared to be completely burnt down, for he sat in the ashes of the walls and ceiling. He looked around at the devastation surrounding him once more and noticed the skeleton of the framework still standing like some sort of shrine or tombstone to the once grand home.

Laying against the frames were Tick and Tock. Tick was leaning against Tock's shoulder, her long, tentical-like arms draped everywhere and anywhere across them. They appeared to be lifeless, he couldn't see any movement with his still bleary eyes. Rubbing his eyes in hopes to clear them up, he noticed Tick's arm flick upwards slightly and the left side of Tock's face twitch. It was then that he realized they were sleeping.

There were other discernible rooms around Damen. Where walls were only partial with no ceilings, and others where it was obvious a second or third floor had collapsed through it. It must have been abandoned long ago. Everything was charred except for a few pieces of magnificently preserved pieces of furniture, which seemed almost planted there. Wherever he was, he didn't like it. Something about the place made Damen feel as though he was being sapped of all his strength.

He slowly made his way to the twins, then something in the remains caught his eye. A photograph, covered in a layer of soot, a tiny spot of gold peaked out from beneath the layer of black. He walked over and picked it up to examine it. The photograph still seemed somewhat intact but, he noted the glass was cracked and made sure to be weary of it as he wiped it off with his sleeve. He was shocked by what he saw.

Two tiny children, with dark hair, and what appeared to be their parents. The picture was far too damaged to make out the children's faces, but the parents looked remarkably similar to the clockwork twins. The two children in the photograph had to have been them. Being able to clearly see that they once had a family, that they were once innocent children, caused a complete paradigm shift within Damen. He walked over to the twins and carefully set the picture down beside them then took a few steps back from where he was.

His gaze shifted around the ruins. This was their house, where they grew up. This is where the twins were ripped forcefully from their family. This was where they were killed. Their parents, as well as whoever else was unfortunate enough to be there at the time.

The size of the area covered by debris lead him to think the home must have been quite large, meaning they belonged to a wealthy family. It must have been quite a fire, leaving nothing but a burnt, black skeleton behind.

The leftover beams seemed to be so fragile, they would collapse on contact. Wandering further, he found remains that, once upon time, must have been a part of a children's room. There was a small doll on the ground, the hair was burnt away and it appeared to be sewn of ashes and extremely fragile. Damen looked toward the two sleeping twins and decided that it must have been their room, if a little feminine.

It seemed like they would be peaceful enough here. No one to hurt, lots of space, and they seemed to like being there. Why else would they come here?

He decided to leave and started walking off. There was a gentle crack as a piece of burnt wood was broken just behind him. Damen turned, and found Tock standing only two feet away. He noticed Tock had the blindfold and gloves back on. It must have been necessary in order for them to take him to this place.

"Where-" Damen tried, but before he could finish, Tock placed a hand over his mouth.

Damen did his best to hide the jolt of fear that went through him at the boy's touch. Tock slowly raised a finger to his lips.

"Shh." Tock said as he removed his hand from Damen's mouth. "Have you any idea where we are? It is too dark here for me to see."

Damen was shocked at the boy's question. He had never spoken directly to anyone. Whenever he spoke it was always to his sister. Finally, Damen answered, "why not take that off and see for yourself? You might know."

"That is what I fear. I'm frightened by the familiarity of the air."

"Why did you bring me here, then?"

"I walked in one direction, and didn't stop until I fell from exhaustion. Not long after she did. It has been twenty seven hours since we left. Ten of which I carried you, five of which I carried you both."

"You seem very strong physically. But emotionally you are weak. How will you strengthen without testing limits?"

Damen turned around again and continued to walk away, but Tock blocked him. Slowly shaking his head.

Tock then grabbed Damen's arm, gradually tightening his grip. "You believe I'm strong, do you?" He asked. "Then you know no strength. I've gone this full month, no injections nor drink."

"Injections?"

"Their replacement for food. One injection each month. It provides us with all we need for half the month. Then the other half we starve waiting desperately for the next. Each not even half the equivalent of a meal. What you call 'food' I call myth. As far as I'm concerned it is no more than a made up concept."

Tock's grip grew painfully tight. "You think I am strong, but all I am is weak. You think you know my mind, when even I do not. You think we are innocent when we are nothing but guilt. You are simply too ignorant as to what we truly are."

Damen nearly fell to his knees, but Tock still held his arm firmly. His grip still got tighter. "We live in a never ending nightmare."

The boy started shaking. He finally let go and started pacing back and forth frantically muttering to himself.

********************Tick********************

Tick was dreaming about the fire. Then she sensed a fearful tension in her brother, and the next thing she knew, her eyes were open.

Her brother was pacing uneasily. And Damen was trying to calm him. She looked around, to see nothing but the charred remains of an old, large house. The image changed so she sat in the stairwell of her home. Then it changed once more. Now she sat at the bottom by her mother's side. The building burning down around her.

She was overcome with misery and burst into laughter more loud and wild than ever before. She looked down at the illusion of her dying mother. In her head she could see the burning images of her father, aunt, and servant. The image turned to ash, and she shakily reached into the dusty remains of her mother. Tick could only laugh as the tears streamed down her face.

"Ring around the rosy," she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Pocket full of posies! Ashes! ASHES! WE ALL FALL DOWN!"

She threw herself into the ash as the flames raged around her. She rolled around in them. Trying to forget her pain, desperate for happiness, refusing to cry.

"Look, Tock! We finally made it home!"

She stood up skipping around Father. "Father, how I missed you so!" She embraced him. She looked at her brother, who took off his blind fold. He looked around in horror.

Tock shook as he grabbed his head. He then held a hand against his lips and leaned forward as if he was about to vomit.

Tock looked at their father. "You wretch!" He shouted, charging at him.

Tick rushed to interfere, tackling her brother. "Leave father alone!"

Tock looked at her angrily. He got back to his feet. "He is no father of mine! It is his fault! His fault we are here!"

"He brought us home!" Tick shouted, grinning angrily.

Tock ran at father again, so she swung her arm delivering a blow to the stomach. Careful not to use too much strength, which could result in his death. He fell to the ground.

Tock recovered instantly, and shouted in frustration as he hit Tick in the abdomen with all his strength.

Tick flew through the air from the powerful hit. She crashed through a weak pillar-like structure. She fell and landed in some grass. She got to her hands and knees and vomited. As she shakily got back to her feet, she was no longer home. She stood in its burned remains.

Something trickled down the side of her face. She touched it, and looked at the substance. It was golden blood. Looking down, she could see a large pool of it. She got light headed and collapsed. She muttered under her breath, "Ovata," and all went black.

********************Feris*******************

Feris stood there breathing heavily. "It seems that this time our mistake was unfixable after all," he said regaining his composure. He closed his eyes and looked at Damen. "I'm sorry I attacked you. Your ignorance didn't get in the way this time, I see that now. This time it was my own. I shall make sure to be wiser next time, but since it will be some time before I see you with my own eyes again..."

Tock opened his eyes and met Damen's gaze. "You wanted to know why, now you will know."

Damen fell to his knees and laughed. "My, what a lovely day it is!" He shouted.

Tock went to his sister's side. He knelt down by her lifeless body, and gently touched the sparkling, golden blood on her face. "Perhaps, if we tried hiding it next time, we could avoid the men in white."

He raised his hands toward his head. "Ovata," he said to himself before gripping the top of his head and his chin. Tock glanced at the laughing body of Damen before quickly jerking both arms in opposite directions, effectively snapping his own neck. He immediately perished as he fell to the ground, into the pool of his sisters blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dangit i wish i could post illustrations....


	6. 1

Oct. 7 1890  
Victorian era  
England  
Age: 7

Feris stood in their living room, practicing violin. He did a good job of acting as if nothing were wrong, but it was not easy. This time he was a mute, which helped, but that didn't help with breakdowns. Then he would go to his room until it was over. He could only hope Emmaline managed to do so as well.

In his deep thoughts, he accidentally made a mistake, playing a sour note. He played it again properly and continued with his practice.

This time was probably difficult for her. It was rare that they entered timelines where they would have disabilities. And whenever there was a problem with one, there was a problem with the other. Feris knew they were unlikely to succeed in this timeline. But they had to try.

Later, when his sister arrived, he saw she was wearing the same smile the developed in the previous time line. Though this time, she got it much earlier.

Mother embraced her first. "Hello, dear!" She greeted happily. "How have you been?"

"Very well, mother, thank you!" She said with the same joy. "Where's Feris?"

Feris walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. She grabbed his hand and turned to face him. Her eyes stared blankly like a doll's. She touched his face. No doubt trying to piece his image together in her head. Her smile brightened even more.

She threw her arms around him. "Oh, I've missed you, brother!"

It was frustrating that he couldn't talk to her. He'd only officially become mute recently. So he knew she would be frustrated as well. He signed to his mother, 'have you told her I can't speak anymore?'

"No, not yet, dear," she responded.

Emmaline looked confused. "Who are you talking to?"

"Sweetheart, Feris lost his ability to use his voice. He talks with his hands now."

She seemed worried. "S-so I can't hear him?"

"Afraid not," mother said sadly.

Feris took her hand and traced letters with his finger. 'Don't worry, I already have it figured out.'

Emmaline nodded. "Okay."

He signed to his mother, 'may we go upstairs?'

Mother nodded. "Be careful helping her up."

Feris nodded, gently holding her hand and guiding her up the stairs. They would have to plan for when the fire started.

***************Feris*************

Later that day...

Feris and Emmaline waited in torture to see if the men would be coming. They had done well in hiding their ways, but word still went around about the couple whose kids just weren't quite right.

They counted the minutes in anticipation. Exactly two minutes before the men could come, Feris took his sister's hand and started bringing her down the stairs. He didn't want the same thing to happen to their mother again. He had to make sure she survived. If she did, perhaps they could actually get away and move on with life.

By the time he managed to successfully lead Emmaline down the stairs, he could hear the harsh pounding in the door.

"Feris, we need to hide," Emmaline whispered to him urgently.

He nodded and tightened his hold on her before running down the hall. He passed his mother on the way, intentionally bumping into her slightly to make sure she saw where they were going. He went quickly to the dumb waiter and opened it up. He helped his sister inside before entering himself.

They head the pounding stop only to be replaced with the sound of gunfire and the faint gasps of their mother and Fran.

********************Fran*******************

Fran watched alongside her mistress as the man's body fell lifeless onto the floor. She had just witnessed the murder of her master. Her mind quickly wandered to the children, and how to keep them safe. She knew they weren't up in the bedroom, she saw them coming down only seconds ago, but she didn't see where they ran off to.

The men at the door rushed inside, and began setting fire to the home. Thinking quick on her feet, Fran pulled her mistress around the corner as a plan started to formulate in her head.

"We have to save the children," Fran said with a low, shaky voice.

"I know they're nearby, but how will we leave? They're in the way!" She replied worriedly.

An idea quickly came to the servant, and she hurriedly whispered it to the worried mother. The woman nodded in agreement with the plan.

They wished each other luck, before running off in opposite directions. Fran ran into the entrance room, immediately getting the attention of the men in the white. She ran up the stairs as fast as her body would allow, and shouted for the remaining family, not including the master who lay dead near the door. "Mistress!" She shouted. "Emmaline! Feris!"

Glancing back she could see the men advancing toward her. Fran prayed that the Mistress had already found the children, and were ready to leave.

She continued to run as fast as she could from the men behind her, until a gunshot echoed through the surrounding space. She fell forward with pain flaring in her shoulder. Before she could recover, she felt a weight on her back holding her down. She heard another gunshot before her world went black.

*********************Emmaline*************

Emmaline sat trembling in her brother's arms. The small space was less than comfortable, but she didn't question it due to the situation. There were other things to worry about.

A short time after there was a second gunshot, she heard the the entrance to the small space open up again. She felt Feris's arms leave her shoulders exiting the dumb waiter. She felt his hand in hers as he helped her get out shortly after he did. She was lifted up within seconds, and her mother spoke in an urgent voice, "we need to get to the back door before the fire does. Move quickly."

Emmaline stayed in the arms of her mother, and she heard Feris's footsteps running alongside them. So far everything was going well. Until the smell of fire filled her nostrils. She felt heat emanating from somewhere up ahead. Emmaline knew the area was on fire, but they didn't stop.

"Feris, open the door for me." Mother ordered, still running. She could hear Feris's footstep run ahead of them. Withing a few moments the heavy smoke that surrounded was gone, replaced with mostly fresh air. Had they made it?

*********************Feris*******************

Rushing to the stable, Feris went ahead of his mother and sister, arriving before them. He waited for them just out of view.

Once they were all in the stable, mother got to work getting Emmaline on one of the horses. Feris went on next, and mother was the last to mount. They rode out of the stable to around the house to the front gate, which sat open. They fled the area, escaping the men in white. Their cursing and grew increasingly distant with each passing second.

As they rode off into the night, Feris couldn't help but wonder what they were supposed to do next. They had never successfully escaped before, especially not in a timeline in which they were both disabled.

It was hard to believe they could escape so easily. They had used that plan before, but it never worked. Whenever their mother came to get them, the men had always followed her. Remembering the extra gunshots he heard, he decided that Fran probably had a part in it.

It had been too ridiculously easy and Feris knew it wasn't over, but for the time being they were safe. He finally allowed himself to close his eyes and relax.


	7. 1

Oct. 7th 1904  
Edwardian Era  
England  
Age: 7

It turns out that falling asleep on a moving horse was not a good idea. He ended up falling off and breaking his neck. And since his sister was unable to die with mother there, he was in this timeline alone. Feris was practicing piano, playing the keys furiously.

Everyone thought the boy was a child prodigy, when really he was a man who had actually been playing for many years. He had played for so long that he had grown rather weary of the instrument. He only liked to play to relieve his anger and stress.

He had been waiting to hear the word. The one they could both sense being spoken; ovata. They used it as a ready sign, spoken to signal the other that it was time to die. For example; if Feris were to die first, he would go on to the next timeline without his sister. Then Emmaline would have to speak the word signaling to Feris that he had one minute to die before she moved to another timeline without him. If they did not die within the same time frame, they'd be separated.

Last time, Feris had died at 11:25 pm in 1890. Now he had to wait until after 11:25 pm when he would hear the word as his sister died. It would be difficult with the men in white, but he had to make it. He followed the same steps he took in the last timeline, going into the dumb waiter and hoping his mother came in time. She did, and they managed to escape.

The time was 11:25, and he waited readily. It was 11:35 when he heard the word. He threw himself off the horse, making sure to land in a way that would break his neck. As the ground rushed toward him he was barely able to mutter, "ovata."


	8. 2

Jan. 5 1826  
Georgian Era  
Scotland  
Age: 9

They had finally found a consistent way of escaping the men in white, though it still seemed that they would need to find another way. Their mother seemed to be going mad, and she had forbidden them from ever leaving their new house in Scotland. Their mother would often scream at them for simply playing outside, saying that the men would come and take them away from her if they ever wandered outside. She clearly couldn't handle their situation.

The ticking in the twins' heads had once again started to heavily influence their behavior. Causing them to move again with clockwork timing. Their mother didn't even notice since she was so preoccupied with her paranoia.

"What are you two doing outside?!" Feris heard his mother shout. He and Emmaline had been playing outside, since the house was surprisingly empty and plain. It was boring, and stuffy indoors, and they just wanted some fresh air.

The two looked back to meet the infuriated face of the woman who was once so gentle and polite. Their mother stormed up to them, grabbing them both by the hair, and forcefully dragging them inside. "Why must you both insist on being so disobedient?! I'm trying to keep you both safe! Do you want them to take you away?! Do you want to leave me?!" Both of them were dragged along fearfully. They'd never known their precious mother to be this way. She threw them in and slammed the door shut. "You never leave this house, do you understand? You never go anywhere outside that door under any circumstances! I'll lock you both away if I have to!!"

"we're sorry!" Feris pleaded. "We just wanted some fresh air, that's all!"

His mother scowled at him. "You want fresh air? Open a window!"

He could sense his sister trying not to cry. "You've never let me outside!" She shouted, shocking both him and his mother. "We've never gotten to leave whatever prison we are confined to! Lifetime after lifetime trapped in a bedroom, trapped in a laboratory! And for what reason?! For the infernal ticking we endlessly endure!" Her fists shook with anger. "A lifetime or two ago, you said you loved us!" She wiped some tears away with her sleeve. "Mother, if you love us, leave us two to our freedom that we have died countless times for!"

Feris watched as Emmaline turned on her heel and sped out the front door. Unsure what to do, Feris followed her. They ran, leaving their dear mother behind. They ran until they no longer could, collapsing on the side of a road in the middle of a field.

By the time they'd gotten there, Emmaline had stopped crying, but Feris had only just fully comprehended what happened. He fell to his knees with his head in his hands as he began to cry quietly. Emmaline knelt beside him and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

After a moment, Feris whispered, "I was sure that it would work. I was so sure that if she survived, she would help us to make it." He growled as tears fell. "Why do none of our plans work?!" He shouted, bringing his fist down on the ground beside him.

"We can't give up, Feris," Emmaline comforted, though Feris could sense that she felt the same as he did. She was just trying to show the strength they both needed, even if it was fake. "I'm sure we'll find a way. It's just a matter of time, I'm sure. Besides, there's still hope left for this timeline. I can feel it!" She smiled at him.

"Let's rest here," Emmaline stated, looking around. "We'll continue after we've caught our breath."

Feris nodded, wiping his tears away. He moved further from the road, into the long grass beside it. He layed down, and closed his eyes only to recieve a smack on the head. He opened his eyes to see Emmaline. "I said we rest, not sleep," she scolded playfully.

Feris sat up, rubbing the side of his head. "That wasn't necessary," he pointed out grudgingly.

"It was for my entertainment!" Emmaline beamed.

Feris rolled his eyes, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "Tock."

Emmaline grinned. "Tick."

"Tock."

"Tick."

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice greeted. They looked to the road, seeing and elderly woman there with a bundle of supplies being carried on her back. An old, tattered, violet cloth was worn over her snowy white hair, and her expression seemed to carry worry. "Where is your family?"

********************Emmaline***************

Emmaline was about to tell the truth, but Feris spoke before her. "We haven't got any," he lied convincingly.

The old woman's face turned to sorrow as she stared at them. "Have you any place to stay?" She questioned.

Emmaline shook her head in response, and the woman extended her hands. "Come. You will stay with me, and I will act as your caregiver." They each accepted a hand, and stood up, following the woman down the path that lead to what would soon become their new home.

"What is your name?" Feris asked the woman.

"I am Mildred," she responded.

"May we call you Grandmother?" Emmaline requested.

Mildred smiled warmly, "if that is what you wish to call me," she replied.

"Thank you for helping us, Grandmother," Emmaline chimed.

The old woman only smiled in response as they walked on.


	9. 3

10, Feb. 1829  
Scotland  
Age: 12

Feris walked alongside Mildred, helping carry what remained of their unsold goods back home. The twins still struggled greatly with their mental health and behavior, but Mildred was patient with them, and cared for them greatly.

Feris turned his head to the side to look at the spot on the side of the road where the old woman had first found them. He looked back at the old woman, remembering the lie he had told when he was younger. He pondered a few moments on whether or not it was worth talking about. After a bit of deep thought, he spoke, "Grandmother?"

The woman smiled warmly, "yes, Feris?"

"Do you remember the day you found us?" He inquired. She nodded with a far off look, as if reminiscing about that day. "I told you a lie when you asked about our family," he informed.

"Is that so?" She spoke in a playful tone.

"We actually did have family," Feris looked ahead at the small home lying in the distance. "It was only our mother. She may even still be alive today."

Mildred went into a coughing fit, Feris stopped a moment to let her recover. After she was better, she continued the conversation. "What did she do that would make you so ashamed as to say that she does not exist?"

"I was afraid that you would take us back to her if you knew the truth," Feris confessed. Mildred remained patient with his slow, timed speech. "Our mother was possessive, and abusive. When we were small, a group of men tried to take us away, but we escaped. However, our mother grew mad with paranoia, and would beat us if we wandered outside, for fear that we would be taken from her."

Mildred nodded, seemingly in deep thought. "I see." They walked on in silence, until they reached the yard. Mildred began coughing again violently. "Go on inside," she told Feris through her coughs.

Feris obeyed and continued walking until he heard a thump behind him. He turned around seeing Mildred on the ground, coughing and wheezing. He panicked, shouting for Emmaline as he ran to the old woman's aid. He helped her up as his sister came running out. Mildred's coughing died down as she waved him aside.

"I'm alright," she said. "It's gonna take a lot more than a cough to get me," she smiled.

Emmaline looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure, Grandmother? I could make something for you to help?"

Mildred nodded greatfully. "I would like that very much, actually."

Emmaline grinned and ran back into the house eagerly. Feris looked to Mildred for approval. After receiving a nod, Feris ran in after his sister shouting, "Emmaline, I want to help too!"

*****************Mildred*************

Mildred chuckled as she walked toward the house. She looked down sadly, knowing that she would only have so much longer with them, but she didn't have the heart to tell them that.

After all Mildred had done to care for them, the twins jumped at any and every opportunity to care right back for her. They were sweet, and loving to her, and she wanted to hold onto them, but how much longer would she last? What would they do without her? They were both so damaged mentally and emotionally, and she had done her best to heal them, but scars never fade. She breathed a heavy sigh as she walked through the door.

Emmaline gathered ingredients by the stove with Feris over her shoulder asking what he can do to help. She smiled at the sight, laughing every now and then as the two occasionally fought over who got to do what. She went and sat at the table, remembering when they were smaller.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 years previous:

Mildred slept peacefully one night until she was woken by the quiet tap of footsteps coming close. She felt a light touch on her back. She sat up and looked down at the two children by her bedside.

Emmaline spoke first, her voice was unsteady as if she were crying. "We dreamt that we lost you."

Mildred smiled, "it was only a dream, Emmaline. I will always be with you."

"Promise," Feris demanded, his voice mirroring his sister's.

"I promise," Mildred reassured. "Come," she invited them into her own bed, and they quickly crawled in under the covers. She started to sing:

"Night's cold wind will never pursue.

Because my heart will be forever a part of you.

quiet, my dear. My perfect angel.

the moon will be your guardian.

i will love you forever more."

The two twins fell asleep quickly, and Mildred smiled as she did the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two were content, and happy with the family they found. Niether of them were ever going to let it go...


	10. 4

20, November 1837

Scotland

Age:20

Mildred got worse since that day. She had become bedridden, and depended entirely on the twins. Emmaline speant most of her days tending to her beloved Grandmother, while Feris did most of the labor. Mildred was sad about her condition, knowing she would only last so much longer, and still knew very little about where those two poor children came from.

So one day while Emmaline was making some food for Feris when he got back home, Mildred called her over. She immediately went to see what she needed, sitting at her bedside, "yes grandmother?"

"Emmaline," she said sadly as she held the girl's hand in her trembling fingers. "Tell me what happened to your family?"

Emmaline stared off into space, seeming to be frozen in time for a few moments before making eye contact once again. Mildred gave her a pleading look until she finally spoke again. "Can it wait until Feris gets back?" She asked.

Mildred nodded, "of course, dear." Emmaline stood and went back to cooking. What will they do after I'm gone? She wondered sadly.

*******************Emmaline******************

Emmaline continued chopping vegetables as she thought about what they were supposed to say. Should they lie about the men in white or should they just be honest and tell her everything? They had never lied since the day they were taken in. What were they supposed to do? It had never mattered what they did with others before. They could just start over and try again, but she didn't want to do that with Mildred. It didn't feel right treating her as just another decision after all she'd done for them.

Emmaline was so occupied with her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Feris got home. He tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump and spin around, nearly stabbing him with the knife in her hand. Feris took a few steps back. "What's wrong?" He asked with concern washing over his sharp features.

She leaned in and told him in a whisper what their Grandmother had asked. Feris glanced at Mildred, then turned back to his sister, "what do we tell her?"

"I don't know. I was waiting for you to get back because I was hoping you would know. Do we lie?"

"No, we can't lie to her."

"Then what do we do?"

"I don't know!"

"Emmaline? Feris?" They heard the woman call.

Feris bit his lip, looking to Emmaline before directing himself toward Mildred. "Yes, Grandmother?" He asked as he stood in front of her.

"Please," she asked. "Tell me who you were before you came to me?"

Feris sighed. "There was a fire. We managed to leave with our mother, but everyone else died before they could escape." Emmaline understood his strategy. He was telling the truth, but only as much as was necessary.

"Feris," Grandmother narrowed her eyes, "You're avoiding things. I can see it in your eyes." Emmaline watched as her brother hung his head in shame. "What is it you aren't telling me?"

"There really was a fire," Emmaline spoke softly. "And we did escape with our mother, but no one burned," she confessed. "A group of men started the fire, and they shot our father. Our servant Fran died to help us escape."

"Why were they there?" Mildred pressed.

"Us," Feris said with tears in his eyes. "We-we're not normal."

"Why is that?"

Emmaline explained everything to her. "We don't die, Grandmother. We've tried. When we do, it just makes us start over again." Mildred furrowed her brows. "It's odd, but we speak the truth."

The old woman stared them both in the eyes before her expression softened. "You really are being honest, aren't you?"

Feris nodded. "Please believe us, Grandmother?"

Emmaline hoped and prayed she would believe them. After a few moments of silence, the woman finally spoke. "You poor children," She sympathized. "How many times has this happened?"

"We don't remember," Emmaline responded sorrowfully. "To many times to count."

"I'm so sorry," Mildred said with a forlorn expression. "Thank you for letting me know."

Emmaline let out a heavy sigh before putting a smile back on her face, wanting desperately to change the subject. "Well," she clapped her hands together. "Time for Feris to eat, Grandmother. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine for now," she still had a distant look on her face. "Thank you, dear."

Emmaline returned to her chores, glad it was over, but secretly wondering what it would have been like if they lied...


	11. 5

17 January 1838

Scotland

Age: 20

Feris walked into the nearest town to buy more food since they were running low. As he strode toward a bakery, he heard people whispering about him. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence due to his timed movements and speech, (for he knew how strange it was) but one thing that he would struggle most with was direct confrontation.

Feris was a common subject for rumors and gossip, many of which were made up and not the least bit true, but easily believed nonetheless.

He took note of a mother pulling her child farther away from him, for fear that Feris would somehow corrupt the young boy. He made brief eyecontact with the child before he returned his gaze to the small shop.

Upon entering, he was confronted by a man that he assumed was the owner. "You're not welcome here," the man shouted. "Get out!"

Feris held his stoic expression, "why?"

"You're bad for business! I know the rumors, I ain't stupid!"

He took a deep breath. "What is so terrible about a man looking to buy some bread so he doesn't starve?"

"I don't care! Get out of my shop!"

Feris sighed calmly, walking out of the bakery, and out into the street. He looked around a bit more before moving toward a series of stands, all selling fruits, and vegetables, etc.

Stopping at a stand selling potatos, he took out some money. The man at the stand kept eyeing him carefully. "Do you expect me to steal a potato?" Feris questioned.

The man averted his gaze and accepted the money, giving him the potatoes in return.

After visiting a few more stands, Feris had gotten all he needed. He was about to start heading home until something bumped into him. Looking down he saw a little girl with a terrified look on her face. Feris looked her over a bit. Her clothes and physical appearance made it clear that the child was poor, and most likely starving.

The girl took a step back, apologizing frantically as Feris silently kept eye contact. After a few moments, Feris got down and took her hand. Looking at her face he saw she was scared out of her mind. He broke the eye contact to take out some money before dropping it into her hand. He spoke as softly as he could, "go find yourself something to eat."

She stared at him, shocked as he stood back up and headed home.

********************Emmaline*******************

Emmaline ran out of the house and toward town as fast as her legs could carry her. The image of her suffering grandmother pushing her to run even faster. 'I'm not letting you go,' Emmaline thought. 'Even if you do die, We'll do the same and find you in the next timeline.'

She continued at a dead sprint as she saw Feris. He seemed shocked at her presence outside the home. The woman shouted without slowing, "it's Grandmother!"

Feris froze in place for a moment, before nodding in understanding. He started running home. They ran past one another, neither showing any signs of slowing down.

Emmaline kept at the same pace until she reached the town. Unsure of where the nearest doctor might be, she asked a man passing by, "doctor," she asked with urgency. The man blinked before telling her where to go.

**********************

after a time, the doctor exited the house and spoke, "there's nothing I can do," he apologized. "She's gotten old, it's just her time. The only thing we can do is let nature take its course and leave the rest to god."

Feris slammed him against the door, "that isn't good enough!"

Emmaline hurried to separate her brother from the frightened man. "Please don't let her die," she pleaded. "We can't lose her."

"I've told you there's nothing i can do. She's in her old age, there's no cure for that. You can either accept it and spend her final moments at her side, or you can fight with me, and neither of you will get to say goodbye."

Feris pressed him against the door again, tears visibly making their way down his face. He held his fist up, ready to punch, but he hesitated, instead punching the wall next to the doctor's head. Feris cried, still holding the man's shirt in a fist.

Emmaline set a hand on her brother's shoulder. "We should be by her side," Emmaline whispered sadly.

Feris released the doctor, shaking his head. "I don't want to see her like that. That's not how I want to remember her."

"Neither do I, but we can't let her go without saying goodbye," she pleaded, tears emerging from her own eyes. "Please don't make me do this alone!"

Emmaline watched as he took a few deep breaths, nodding. They both entered, going to their grandmother's bedside.

Mildred stared at them, "I know what you both want to do," she said weakly. "Don't give up on this lifetime just because I leave. You may be able to be reborn, but I want you to see that no matter how unfortunate you are, there is still goodness in life if you know where to look. Continue this life," she asked. "Those who hold onto the past, are doomed to repeat it."

"We don't want to let you go," Emmaline wept. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to us in hundreds of lifetimes... please don't go."

Mildred smiled one final time. "I will foever love you," she said. "No matter how many times you die, no matter what life you are in, I will be with you. Forevermore."

Neither of sibling could speak, sitting in silence until Mildred once again spoke. "Do you remember that song I used to sing to you?" They nodded in unison. The old woman smiled. "Will you sing it for me?"

Emmaline looked at Feris who nodded as they both started to sing.

"Night's cold wind will never pursue.

Because my heart will be forever a part of you.

quiet, my dear. My perfect angel.

the moon will be your guardian.

i will love you forever more."

As the song came to an end, Mildred closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed to a stop.

Emmaline watched as her grandmother seemed to stop breathing. Hot tears escaped her eyes as she managed to whisper, "Grandmother?" Internally pleading to receive an answer, she spoke again, "please say something?"

she waited and waited, but never recieved an answer from their dear, beloved grandmother...


	12. 6

The two siblings stared at the freshly made grave. Feris stood in the grass, heart slowly being consumed by his own hatred for the world.

He put an arm around his sister as she began leaning on him for comfort. Feris attempted to wipe away some of his own tears. "I want to die."

Emmaline looked up at him. "We can't die," Emmaline refused. "Not after what she told us."

"I know," Feris replied. His hatred burned within him for a few silent moments before saying, "this was a terrible idea."

"What was?"

"Her," he stated simply. "Whenever we care for someone, whenever we have hope, the world punishes us and whoever we hold dear. Do you not wish that we didn't have to witness this?"

Emmaline seemed to go blank for a moment, staring at the grave before them before saying with complete confidence, "I regret nothing in this life." She turned her head to look at him. "We are now old enough to care for ourselves. And we will do just that. We will live on the same way we have been."

"Is that it?" Feris asked in disbelief. "Is that all this life will be? I go out to do whatever work I'm able to find while you sit in solitude here?" He questioned. "You would rather waste an entire lifetime doing nothing?"

Emmaline stared at the ground for a bit. "No," she said quietly. "But I won't die."

Feris grew frustrated with the stubbornness of his sister. "What do you plan on doing if not nothing?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll find something," she swore before walking back to the house.

Feris looked back at the grave once more before following her example.

*******************Emmaline********************

Emmaline knew what she was going to do, but she would have to be cautious about it. Early in the morning, Emmaline prepared herself to head into town, leaving her brother a note saying that there was no need for him to work that day. She then went to pick up a box in which they kept all their savings, and left the house with full confidence in her plan.


	13. 7

Emmaline was excited the entire walk home, gift in hand, with her largest smile yet. She was sure Feris would love the violin. He was a master at the instrument, and she was sure that he could make a living of it. Her smile grew at the thought of his gratitude, as she approached their home. Then she heard the word. A word that she hoped she wouldn't have to hear for a long time.

"Ovata." She heard Feris's voice echo in her head.

Emmaline immediately dropped the violin, sprinting to the house. She swung open the front door just in time to see Feris slit his own throat. "Feris!" Tears filled her eyes as he fell to the floor.

She ran toward him and tried in vain to get him breathing again. She gripped his shirt tightly, shaking him violently. "You lied to her!" She screamed. "You lied!"

Emmaline knew she was running out of time. If she was going to go with him, she had to go quick. She threw his body back onto the floor before taking the knife. "Damn you!" She shouted before slitting her own throat. Growling, "ovata."


	14. 1

Oct. 7 1809

England

Age: 7

Feris sulked in his bedroom, still feeling greif for the one he lost. He heard father calling him down to see Emmaline. With hesitation he got up from his bed and went downstairs to greet his sister. She had come very late. Most likely because she didn't want to see him.

Upon seeing her, he could immediately sense her anger, though she disguised it with her smile.

She quickly exclaimed, "we're going upstairs to play," before gripping his wrist tightly, and almost dragging him up the stairs. She closed the door and finally released him.

Feris hadn't seen her this angry with him before. He didn't know what to say to her. "I-l'm sorry," was all he could manage before Emmaline's smile turned into a scowl, which was scary to see on her normally joyful face.

"You lied to her," she growled. "And now I've lied too." Emmaline's scowl deepened. "We've let her down. You've let her down! Why did you restart?!"

Tears stung Feris's eyes as he struggled to think of a way to explain himself. "I told you I wanted to die..."

"But she told us not to!" Emmaline shouted. "You said you wouldn't! Did you think it would bring her back?!"

"That's not what I meant." Feris sulked.

"Even if it isn't, you broke your promise. I wanted to live! I'm tired of doing this over and over! I want to live each life to its full extent."

Feris didn't want to live the same life for so long. Their last life was the only lifetime where he had found real happiness. But with Mildred gone, he was sure that he would never find that happiness again in that life. "What was there for us, Emmaline? Do you really think there was any joy left for us there?"

Feris could feel his sister growing even more tense at his words. "There had to be, Feris! I don't want death anymore! I don't care about finding a way to die! We have to hold onto the hope she gave us," she said with a small smile.

"There is no hope. Do you not see the constant pattern? If we become content, the world punishes us. If we allow change, the world punishes us. If we gain too much hope, the world punishes us. If we ever even think that we have found someone who will care for us, the world punishes not only us, but them too."

Emmaline met his eyes with a determined expression gracing her features. "There has to be reason. Grandmother told us that there is still happiness. She has never lied to us before. I always knew there had to be a way, I refuse to let the world make me sad!"

"LIAR!" Feris shouted in a blind rage, frightening his sister. "I FEEL EVERYTHING YOU DO, REMEMBER?! YOUVE ALWAYS BEEN SAD! YOU JUST HIDE BEHIND THAT DAMN SMILE ALL THE TIME! I hate the world, I hate living, AND I HATE HAVING TO LOOK AT THAT DISGUSTING SMILE!"

Emmaline's cold expression fell, but she didn't say a word. She just stared at him with fear and disbelief. After finally realizing what he had done, all the anger seemed to disappear from Feris, only to be replaced with regret.

"Emmaline... I'm sorry," he tried, reaching out to take her hand. She pulled her hand away, taking a step back. She turned around, running out of the bedroom. Feris ran a hand through his hair, as tears filled his eyes. "Dammit!" He shouted, wiping tears from his eyes.

*****************Emmaline*************

Emmaline stormed off with tears streaming down her face. She ran down the hall only to be stopped by an adult hand. She tried to pull away, but they held her firm, and turned her around so she would face them. Emmaline stopped struggling when she was met with the face of their worried servant.

"Are you alright, miss?" Fran asked.

Emmaline embraced the servant, crying into her shoulder. Fran gently held her, rubbing circles on her back. "Would you like me to take you to your mother or father?"

Emmaline held the servant a bit tighter, not wanting to be taken to anyone. She shook her head, not daring to say a word.

Fran nodded, "I see."

A gunshot was heard, startling the woman. Emmaline knew what it was, but she didn't care. She heard little footsteps rushing to her from behind. She knew it was Feris, and didn't say a word.

"Come on, we have to go!" Feris exclaimed, grabbing her arm.

"what's going on?" Fran panicked.

"Emmaline!" Feris shouted when she refused to face him.

There was another gunshot followed by Fran's scream as she fell lifeless to the floor. Heavy footsteps came toward them. Feris tried to pull her away, but Emmaline still refused to move. Soon strong, adult arms got a hold on both of them as they were taken away, but Emmaline didn't care. She closed her eyes as they passed the bodies of her parents. She was not overly fond of her mother and father, but she still loved them. And it always broke her heart seeing them as lifeless corpses.

Feris did his best to struggle, but Emmaline didn't even try. She went willingly.


	15. 2

Emmaline sat in the corner of the cell, not wanting to speak to her brother. She tried her best not to smile, but she couldn't keep a straight face for long before she started grinning again out of habit. The cell was completely silent except for the ticking in her head. After a few minutes Feris spoke up.

"Tock. Tock. Tock..."

Emmaline knew what he was trying to do. He wanted her to join him. Instead Emmaline just said, "you know why I do it."

Feris ceased his tocking. "What?"

"My smile..." Emmaline replied softly. "I know I hide behind it," she explained. "I know I pretend to be happier than I am," Emmaline made eye contact with him, "but you know full well why I do."

Feris averted his gaze, staring at the floor. Before either of them could say another word, the cell door opened, and a guard came in to take Emmaline. The young girl closed her eyes as she was lifted up, and thrown over the guard's shoulder.

A tear fell down her cheek as she was carried away for the experience she knew would cost her her arms and what little sanity she had managed to recover.

*******************Feris********************

Feris sat quiet, wishing he could take back what he said. To anyone else, his insult might not have been a big deal. But to Emmaline, it shattered a reality that she had speant many lifetimes trying to create. There was a time when she was so quiet and broken that she wouldn't speak, not even to him. Feris usually referred to it as their dark period. In truth, Emmaline was far more cold and rigid than he was. Feris didn't smile often, but there was always a rare occasion where he would, especially when around her. Emmaline, however, would never smile during their dark period, not even a little.

Feris recalled the lifetime where they had first ended up becoming allies with Mr. Damen. It was the lifetime that ended their dark period. In that lifetime, Damen had told them that if they kept smiling and hoping that things would improve, they eventually would. After that, Emmaline smiled more and more with each passing life. It eventually got to the point where there wasn't a moment in the day that she wasn't dawning her signature smile.

As much as Feris hated to admit it, he had always feared her when she wasn't smiling. His sister's original personality was very cold, and unforgiving. She had changed a lot since the dark period, and he really did love his sister's smile. Her joy was infectious, and it functioned as somewhat of a beacon of hope for Feris. So why did he insult her in such a way to rid her of her smile?

The cell door opened again to reveal another guard. Feris stood and went along without putting up a fight. He was in no mood to fight back. He only prepared himself for what was to come...

********************Feris********************

five years later

Age: 12

Feris dreaded this timeline. As Emmaline came back from the experiments, she wouldn't smile like she normally would. She wouldn't talk to him. She wouldn't even tick with him. It was just like the dark period.

He and Emmaline sat on opposite sides of the cell. Feris didn't like the tension between them. They only had each other to rely on, but this timeline ruined it all... no. He had ruined it...

He hated the silence. After spending time with Mildred, he'd regained some sanity and was able to withstand the torturous ticking. But now he was truly alone with the sound. It was... well it was maddening. He needed the hope that his sister's smile gave him. He needed her companionship for the sake of his sanity.

The ticking almost seemed to get louder. He was losing his sanity again. He didn't want to. Feris stood, going to his sister. "Emmaline," he asked quietly. Emmaline looked up at him, but didn't speak. "Please," he nearly begged. "Please show me your smile..."

Emmaline continued to stare harshly. Feris was surprised to hear her respond. "Why should I if you hate it so much?"

The ticking only grew in volume. "I'm sorry! I was angry, I was sad!" The noise was booming. "Please, help me!"

Emmaline seemed to be confused at his words. "Feris?" She seemed concerned. Her worry was replaced with fear, causing Feris to assume that she was beginning to experience the same thing.

The sound was deafening, yet he could hear her voice so clearly. The endless ticking overcame him. The boy hunched over on his knees, and stared screaming, Emmaline joined in soon after. Soon enough, guards and doctors came rushing in to see what was happening. Upon seeing their meantal breakdown, action was immediately taken, and they were both knocked unconscious.


	16. 3

June 10, 1821

England  
Age: 19

Emmaline sat on the floor of their cell, staring at a wall on the side opposite to her. She hadn't feared the ticking this much in a long time. The noise would grow louder and softer at random times. It had always done this, but never when she was sane. Before Mildred, she had grown used to the unpredictable ticking, but not anymore.

She glanced at Feris, who sat on the ceiling with his back to her, staring into a corner and mumbling to himself. She knew what he wanted her to do, but refused to do it. She went back to staring at the wall, when she suddenly heard a giggle escape Feris's lips. She shifted her gaze back to him.

"Have we tried killing everyone yet?" He asked himself with a dementedly joyful tone.

She stared at him, to shocked to do or say anything. "Feris?" She stuttered out.

The boy giggled before he tilted his head back to look at her. "Tick?"

It took her a few moments to realize that he was referring to her. "Damen should be coming today."

"Don't worry, he'll die too!"

Emmaline struggled to believe that this was her brother. "But I don't want him to die."

Feris's smile fell, replaced with a disappointed frown. Feris dropped from the ceiling, and started walking toward her, muttering, "tick tock tick tock..." as he came closer.

Emmaline didn't know or understand what he was doing. "Feris?"

If he heard he, showed no sign of it. He only came closer, his voice growing in volume as he continued chanting, "tick tock tick tock..."

As he reached her, it all just stopped. He was quiet again, as he knelt down in front of her. Emmaline was confused to say the least.

She suddenly felt strong arms around her. After a few moments she relaxed in her brother's tight embrace. Only seconds later, Feris whispered in her ear, "ovata." His hold on her suddenly tightened, and everything went black.

******************Feris*******************

It was done. He had crushed her. Feris stared at the body in his arms. He smiled at his sister. "I will be seeing you soon."

The cell door flew open, and a guard came running in. Feris immediately rushed at him. The guard attempted to dodge him, but failed. Feris forced the guard down onto the floor, and removed the cloth from his cursed eyes. The guard made the mistake of eye contact, and started screaming in fear. Feris quickly removed a glove, and continued to drain the life from him.

He wanted to kill ALL of them... even Damen.

After getting through all the guards, he started searching for Damen. He looked in every door, but found nothing, so he decided to begin searching the other cells. They were all empty, except one. He found a woman, most likely in her mid twenties. She had greasy brown hair, and limbs that were far too long for her body. She was clearly another test subject that he didn't know about, yet she was oddly familiar. But he said he would kill everyone.

He opened the cell door, immediately attracting the woman's attention. Before she could do anything, he attacked her. The woman reacted too slow, and was quickly overtaken by him.

Feris held her down to the best of his ability, but she was much stronger than she appeared. The woman managed flip them over so he was the one on the floor. She opened her mouth, revealing sharp teeth. The woman bent down and Took a bite out of his neck. Feris knew the injury was too great for him to recover from, so struggled freeing his arms, then broke her neck with his remaining strength.

He would surely die from his injury. He giggled slightly. "I failed......ovata....."


	17. ???

17, Jan. 1828

Scotland

Age: 9

A young girl walked alone on the street, completely abandoned by her own family after being labeled as a freak. She was scared, and alone with no comfort. She had lived this way for years and she could still remember the frightened faces of her mother and father when she told them how they had died before, followed by the statement that she had died, too.

The girl didn't know what was wrong with her. She could still remember that life so vividly. She remembered the men that had taken her away, she remembered witnessing the slaughter of her own family. She could remember all the years she was kept alone and in pain inside a cell. She remembered the strange man with the strange eyes, and shuttered at the memory.

She was greatful, however. Greatful that she would be safe from the ones that had turned her into a monster.

She had come into town hoping that she might be able to get some food from somewhere. She was starving, and was even willing to steal food if meant getting something to eat. The scent of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery filled her nostrils.

The girl was so captivated by the scent, she forgot to look where she was going and ran into someone. Looking up, she saw a familiar face that haunted her nightmares.

The man was tall with ink black hair, and an expression that seemed to be an odd mixture of hatred and concern. His eyes looked different, but were no less intimidating due to his strong, constant glare.

She stumbled back. Unsure of what to say or do. "I-I-I'm sorry!" Was all she could manage as she stuttered frantically. "I'm so sorry!"

The man never broke eye contact with her as he crouched down to her level, and taking her tiny hand into his much larger one.

The girl trembled in fear, silently praying that she would live.

He reached into his pocket and took out some money, much to her confusion. He dropped a fair ammount into her hand, then closed her fingers around it.

The man said in a soft voice, "go find yourself something to eat."

**Author's Note:**

> The story is also on Quotev along with illustrations!


End file.
